Wednesday, 5 September 2012

Far After Gold - New Excerpt

Flane sat on the bed, grasped her shoulders
and pulled her back to lie on the mattress beside him. He laughed into her
wide, shocked eyes. His lips dived to the skin beneath her jaw and nuzzled
towards the neckline split in her chemise while his fingers untied the knot
that held the strings closed. He parted the fabric and his mouth slid down
towards the newly revealed curve of her breast. His bristles rasped against her
skin and Emer fended him off with both hands.

“Don’t! Don’t!”

He braced one hand to either side of her
shoulders and loomed over her. “What’s wrong?”

Emer gulped. “It isn’t right,” she muttered,
unable to meet his steady gaze. She looked across the hall, where children ran
about, getting in the way of their elders, and a dog barked as it leapt crazily
about his newly returned master. The rest of the world seemed to be going on as
normal, and here she was fighting for her virtue. No one cared.

No one had even noticed.

Flane chuckled, and she faced him
suspiciously. “I can’t think of anything better,” he said. “What’s not right?”

At his tone, some of her anxiety dispersed. She
focussed on his leather jerkin and a part of her brain registered that someone
had dressed the leather very well indeed, and threaded small tassels through
the shoulder seam. She admired the pale shade, which so nearly matched his
hair.

“Be brave,” he said. “Tell me.”

He taunted her now. Emer saw the mischief in
his eyes, and caution vanished. “I cannot be happy in a place where we are on
public view.” She opened her eyes wide and words, unheeded, shot out of her
mouth. “And we should be married before you bed me!” Her breath came and went
as if she’d been running and warm blood rushed beneath the skin of her throat
and face.

“Really?” His voice betrayed nothing, but his
silver brows drew down in a frown. “And how would marriage change anything?”